Telling Time (Quarter Past and Quarter To)
In Class 1, we learned to read time at the hour and half past the hour. In Class 2, we learn two more important times: quarter past and quarter to.
A clock face is like a circle. If we divide it into 4 equal parts, each part is a quarter. When the minute hand moves through one quarter, 15 minutes have passed.
What is Telling Time (Quarter Past and Quarter To) - Class 2 Maths (Time (Grade 2))?
Quarter past means 15 minutes after the hour. The minute hand points at 3.
Quarter to means 15 minutes before the next hour. The minute hand points at 9.
Quarter = 15 minutes | Half = 30 minutes | Full hour = 60 minutes
Telling Time (Quarter Past and Quarter To) Formula
Reading quarter past:
- Look at the hour hand — it shows the hour (just past the number)
- The minute hand points at 3
- Say: "Quarter past [hour]"
Reading quarter to:
- Look at the hour hand — it is close to the next number
- The minute hand points at 9
- Say: "Quarter to [next hour]"
Solved Examples
Example 1: Example 1: Quarter Past 3
Question: The hour hand is just past 3 and the minute hand points at 3. What time is it?
Think:
- Hour hand is past 3 → the hour is 3
- Minute hand at 3 → 15 minutes past
- This is "quarter past 3"
Answer: The time is quarter past 3 or 3:15.
Example 2: Example 2: Quarter To 5
Question: The hour hand is close to 5 and the minute hand points at 9. What time is it?
Think:
- Hour hand is close to 5 → the next hour is 5
- Minute hand at 9 → 15 minutes before 5
- This is "quarter to 5"
Answer: The time is quarter to 5 or 4:45.
Example 3: Example 3: School Bell
Question: Ria's school starts at quarter past 8. What does the clock show?
Think:
- Quarter past 8 = 15 minutes after 8
- Hour hand just past 8, minute hand at 3
Answer: The clock shows 8:15. The hour hand is just past 8 and the minute hand points at 3.
Example 4: Example 4: Lunch Time
Question: Aman eats lunch at quarter to 1. Write this time in numbers.
Think:
- Quarter to 1 = 15 minutes before 1:00
- 1:00 minus 15 minutes = 12:45
Answer: The time is 12:45.
Example 5: Example 5: How Many Minutes?
Question: Priya started her homework at 4:00. She finished at quarter past 4. How many minutes did she take?
Think:
- Started at 4:00
- Finished at 4:15 (quarter past 4)
- Time taken = 15 minutes
Answer: Priya took 15 minutes.
Example 6: Example 6: From Quarter Past to Half Past
Question: Dev started playing at quarter past 5. He played for 15 more minutes. What time did he stop?
Think:
- Started at 5:15 (quarter past 5)
- Played for 15 more minutes
- 5:15 + 15 minutes = 5:30 (half past 5)
Answer: Dev stopped at half past 5 or 5:30.
Example 7: Example 7: Drawing Clock Hands
Question: Draw the clock hands for quarter to 9.
Think:
- Quarter to 9 = 8:45
- The minute hand points at 9
- The hour hand is close to 9 (almost there)
Answer: Draw the minute hand at 9 and the hour hand between 8 and 9, closer to 9.
Key Points to Remember
- Quarter past = 15 minutes after the hour. Minute hand at 3.
- Quarter to = 15 minutes before the next hour. Minute hand at 9.
- Half past = 30 minutes after the hour. Minute hand at 6.
- The minute hand takes 15 minutes to move from one number to the next set of three numbers on a clock.
- Quarter past 8 = 8:15. Quarter to 8 = 7:45.
Practice Problems
- What time is it when the hour hand is past 6 and the minute hand is at 3?
- Write 'quarter to 10' in numbers.
- Neha starts reading at 7:00 and reads for 15 minutes. What time does she stop?
- Draw clock hands for quarter past 2.
- It is 3:45 now. Say this time using the words 'quarter to'.
- How many minutes are there from quarter past 4 to half past 4?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What does 'quarter past' mean?
Quarter past means 15 minutes after the hour. For example, quarter past 3 means 3:15.
Q2. What does 'quarter to' mean?
Quarter to means 15 minutes before the next hour. For example, quarter to 5 means 4:45.
Q3. Where does the minute hand point for quarter past?
For quarter past, the minute hand points at the number 3 on the clock.
Q4. Where does the minute hand point for quarter to?
For quarter to, the minute hand points at the number 9 on the clock.
Q5. How many minutes are in a quarter of an hour?
A quarter of an hour is 15 minutes. A full hour has 60 minutes, and 60 divided by 4 equals 15.
Q6. What is the difference between quarter past and quarter to?
Quarter past is 15 minutes after the hour (minute hand at 3). Quarter to is 15 minutes before the next hour (minute hand at 9).
Q7. How do I write quarter past 7 in numbers?
Quarter past 7 is written as 7:15.
